DELGADILLO HAS DOUBTS.
With all the concerned parties looking hard at Connie Rice's jumbo gang study and more or less mulling it over, Rocky Delgadillo apparently has some reservations. He doesn't want to create a new giant bureaucracy. It's a legitimate concern but it may be a premature concern until they figure out how to run it, where to put it, and how it will work. We wondered why Rocky voiced reservations so quickly until we dug up an LA Times announcement from November 2006 in which Rocky named former Federal Prosecutor Bruce Riordan to head the LA City Attorney's gang prosecution and intervention efforts. When Rocky made that announcement he called Riordan his new "Gang Czar." It appears that Delgadillo was already laying the groundwork to have the new anti-gang organization attached to or under the supervision of the City Attorney's office. We wonder if Rocky would be objecting as strongly to a new bureaucracy if this new entity was placed directly under his supervision? One of the problem with politicians is that they're always looking to carve out little empires for themselves. It's called job security.
Thursday, January 18, 2007
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Rockard (Rocky) Delgadillo, the City Attorney of Los Angeles, was born on July 15, 1960, at 12:13 a.m., in Glendale, California. The Sun, Mercury, and Venus in Cancer at birth reveal how sensitive this man is on matters of the home-front. He really believes that everyone should have a roof over their head and a chicken cooking in the pot. These beliefs are deeply rooted in personal experiences that could go back to a previous lifetime if he didn’t have them in this one, according to Saturn in Capricorn.
The Moon in Aries and Mars in Taurus, symbolized by the Ram and the Bull, show me this man is very determined and does not waffle his position. He’s capable of bold moves in financial matters. Emotionally, Mr. Delgadillo does not to wear his heart on his sleeve. I suspect he would eat his temper rather than make a scene, which always allows him to put his best foot forward. He could hold a grudge for a long time, but his greatest assets are his philosophy and beliefs, which serve him well. The word "loyalty" means a lot to him. He loves to travel.
Rocky Delgadillo was voted into office on June 5, 2001. He was happy back then, but shortly afterwards, Mars moved into Capricorn on Sept 11, 2001, and the world witnessed a bombing in New York by terrorists. The rest is history. Si Chucha y tus calzonotes!
I’m a 60-year-old Chicano and proud. Why do young Chicanos keep imitating blacks? They dress like blacks, talk like blacks, listen to black music and hang with blacks. Aren’t they proud of their own culture? Why don’t they embrace Hispanic ways and learn about Hispanic history?
—Say It Loud! I’m Brown and I’m Proud! ...hay mama mia!
In Northern Cali we have the East Bay Chicano, the San Jose Chicano and the Central Valley Chicano to name a few. Although the hood is the hood, barrio life is different wherever you’re at. But it’s not just the gangs – it’s the clubs, clothes and even the cars that are different.
The East Bay Chicano for example has a heavy influence from black culture. East Bay cities – like Oakland and Hayward – have been defined by their strong black communities. It is this combination of black and brown that has created the East Bay Chicano culture. A young homie from there may look, sound and “act” black because of the environment. Some have incorporated black slang, calling each other “blood” or “nigga.” The East Bay Latinos, and those from parts of San Francisco, have a hip hop vibe. It’s common to see a young Chicano sagging his pants with this hat flipped to the side, just like out of Source Magazine. Along with driving traditionally Chicano low-riders in the East Bay they have supped-up, old school muscle cars. That’s an East Bay thing.
In San Jose, we have that black/brown element too, but not as strong as it is in the East Bay. The South Bay has more of a straight Chicano culture. Chicanos have shaped the culture of the city from the days when San Jose was only orchard fields to present day “Silicon Valley.” My own family tells the story of our Chicano city – from my grandparents picking plums and Apricots to my uncles cruising King and Story Road back in the 70’s, we’ve created San Jose culture.
The San Jose Chicano has a more “cholo” influence. Homeboys out here are still sporting baby cuffs and though they listen to rap, you’ll still hear oldies bumpin’ out of Regals. Some are still wearing Pendalton’s buttoned up to the collar with butterfly creased khakies. While the clubs in the East Bay seem to have more hip hop, San Jose clubs have more house and freestyle music – sounds more linked to Chicano identity.
A lot of South Bay Chicanos are moving to cities like Modesto and Fresno, and the Central Valley Chicano identity is changing. What used to be a small town Chicano vibe feels a lot more like San Jose now. It’s common to see SJ tats on arms. They even sell SJ hats in the liquor stores. Integration of the Bay Area immigrants though has not been easy. Back in 80’s the Fresno Nortenos wanted to break off and form their own Central Valley identity. They didn’t want the North or the South. Til this day there is conflict between some Bay Area Chicanos and Fresno.
That conflict is nothing compared to the beef between the northern and southern California Chicanos, born out of the gang culture started in the California prison system and spread throughout the streets of Aztlan and nationwide. Everything from Bakersfield and up is Northern territory, everything below to the Mexican border is Southern territory. This North and South hatred is an idea and identity that has torn the state in half. Some Chicano children are taught at an early age by their parents, others learn from life on the street.
As an 11-year-old kid living off of King and Story in East San Jose I can remember needing a pair of shoes. I wanted them to be red. The Northern flag had already been burned into my subconscious. Red was the color of choice worn by my older brother and the big homies in the neighborhood. Without even knowing it, I was becoming apart of the identity. As I got older, I always heard propaganda against the South from someone’s Uncle, dad or older brothers. It was always about conflicts they had in the pen or the streets, and how we are different, how they are below us, and how when we see them, it’s on.
In California barrios from North to the South, where the gangster is king, to be a Norteño or Sureño is more then a style, it is a way of life for some. Although gangsters are only a small part of Chicano culture the North vs. South belief system affects all Chicanos. You get labeled, whether or not you are affiliated.
While the conflicts between Chicanos may be our main downfall, the regional differences are what make us unique. Whether you be from the North, South or Central Valley our struggle has always been about that search for identity.
A story by David Madrid.
"Street Dreams Are Made of These"
Driving through the back streets of East Side San Jose, you can feel the piercing stares. Everyone wants to know who is driving down their block. There is rising tension in these neighborhoods as the population grows, and you can feel it on the streets and in the schools. Different identities among our Chicano communities are being thrown in each other's faces--mashing them together--and the results of the conflicts are written on the walls.
As Chicanos move all around the state to find jobs and get cheaper housing, regional differences are becoming more obvious, and they are escalating the Norteño and Sureño conflicts on the streets, especially among the youngsters.
Working at two different East Side junior high schools in San Jose, I'm hearing more stories of gang conflicts and violence--beatings, kids getting chased, knives or guns getting pulled. Kids show me their scars and wounds as they tell me their stories.
The division of the north and south was born out of the gang culture that started in the California prison system and spread throughout the streets of Aztlan (pre-Aztec indigenous nomads roamed a mystical land called "Aztlan," which comprises present-day California, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Utah and half of Colorado; this Aztlan is a romantic term Chicanos now use to describe our land) and nationwide. This north and south hatred is an idea that has torn the state in half. Most people think California's Latino gang conflict is about red and blue, but when it comes down to it, it's about geography. Red is north; blue is south--prison-issued colors from the pen. The colors are only flags, though, like wearing a jersey, signifying which side of California you identify with.
As an 11-year-old kid living off of LaVonn and Sunset in east San Jose, I can remember needing a pair of shoes. I wanted them to be red. The northern identity had already been burned into my subconscious. Red was the color of choice, worn by my older brother and the big homies in the neighborhood.
Without even knowing it, I was becoming a part of the identity. Growing up, I heard constant propaganda against the south from someone's uncle, dad or older brothers. It was always about conflicts they had in the pen or the streets, and how we were different, how they were below us and how when we saw them, it's on.
The belief that one group is better than another--and the focusing on differences between groups--has been passed down through generations in a manner no different from that of the Klan or other American hate groups. Some Chicano children are taught at an early age by their parents; others learn from life on the street.
In California barrios from the north to the south, where the gangster is king, to be a Norteño or Sureño is more than a style, it is a way of life for some. Although gangsters are only a small part of Chicano culture, the north-vs.-south belief system affects all Chicanos. You get labeled, whether or not you are affiliated. In this way, the ideology of northern or southern supremacy has become a common form of discrimination among Chicanos.
In high school, I remember girls not liking a guy after hearing he was from the south. They didn't want to be known for dating a "Scrap." A friend told me that after having taken out his mother to eat for Mother's Day in an East Side restaurant, a carload of Sureños wanted to fight him. Apparently, my friend was wearing a Disneyland shirt that happened to be red.
The north and south conflict is not just about senseless violence, though. It is about something deeper in our culture--our search for identity as Mexican-Americans, not from Mexico and not truly accepted as American. Whether it be claiming allegiance to a gang or a club, identity as Latino or Hispanic, Raiders or 49ers, being Chicano is about finding your niche identity and belonging to it.
Despite media depictions to the contrary, this search does not always result in conflicts. It has also created different Chicano identities based on where we live. As people move around the state, we are seeing how different we are culturally, based on where we're from.
In Northern Cali alone, for example, we have the East Bay, South Bay and the Central Valley Chicano. Although the 'hood is the 'hood, barrio life is different wherever you are. But it's not just the gangs--it's the clubs, clothes and even the cars that are different.
A lot of East Bay Chicanos, and those from parts of San Francisco, have a hip-hop vibe, using what's traditionally thought of as black slang, calling each other "blood" or "nigga." It's common to see a young Chicano sagging his pants with his hat flipped to the side, just like out of Source magazine. Along with having typical Chicano lowriders, out in the East Bay they drive souped-up old-school muscle cars. It is this combination of black and brown that has created East Bay Chicano culture.
In San Jose, we have that black/brown element, too, but it's not as strong as it is in the East Bay. The San Jose culture has a more traditional Chicano identity born out of the lowrider movement, the house and freestyle music club scene and Spanglish slang. Some homeboys out here are still sporting baby cuffs and butterfly-creased khakis, and though they listen to rap you'll still hear oldies bumpin' out of their Regals.
A lot of South Bay folks are moving to cities like Modesto, Tracy and Fresno, and the Central Valley Chicano identity is changing as a result. What used to be a small-town vibe is starting to feel a lot like a young San Jose. Now it's common to see San Jo tats on arms. They even sell San Jose hats in some liquor stores in Modesto.
Integration of the Bay Area immigrants, though, has not been easy. Back in the '80s, the Fresno Bulldog Norteños wanted to break off and form their own Central Valley identity. They didn't want to be part of the north or the south. To this day, there is still conflict between some Bay Area Chicanos and Fresno.
While the conflicts with the Chicano community may be our main downfall, the differences are what make us unique as a people. Whether from the north or the south, or from the Central Valley, our struggle will always be about identity.
END
Color Bind
By Vrinda Normand
San Jose's gang landscape is changing, with an influx of Sureños threatening Norteño dominance—and leading to an upsurge in violence at gang borders around the city...
MIKE MORENO was 14 the first time he saw a Sureño in San Jose. Walking down Willow Street one afternoon, north of Willow Glen where posh boutiques and cafes become taquerias and supermercados, he passed a few guys wearing blue in front of a liquor store. They spotted his red clothing, sized him up as a rival Norteño, and threw their sign: three fingers and a defiant "Su trece" (your 13).
Moreno just kept going. He had no idea what "Su trece" stood for. He asked an older gang member who knew how Chicano gangbanging divides California into North and South, Norteños vs. Sureños.
"That's your enemy," he told Moreno. "You need to kill them."
So Moreno returned to the liquor store with a few friends and beat the Sureños until they ran away. That was 1986, almost 20 years after the imaginary line was drawn across the state at Fresno. San Jose had become a stronghold for the North.
Back then, Sureños in San Jose were a rare sight, but the rival gang has grown so much in the past 10 years, it is now rumored to match Norteños in size. The nation's 10th largest city is split by blue and red, a phenomenon that doesn't exist in Southern California—where Sureños rule and a Norteño wouldn't be caught dead. The result is an often violent local twist on the statewide battle, fueled by an influx of immigration from Mexico.
Willow Street didn't become a dividing line between two established territories until the mid-'90s, when Moreno found out the hard way just how much his neighborhood had changed. It was 1993 and he was driving with his girlfriend and two homeboys in a car that had been used the night before during an attack on several Sureños. Tensions were high.
They headed to a party on Duane Street, just a few blocks east of the Norteño safe zone. Within a matter of minutes, a crew of young men surrounded their car. The 21-year-old Moreno put up a fight but he was outnumbered. When he got stabbed twice in the back, he pretended the shallow flesh wounds were lethal and fell to the ground as if he were unconscious. The Sureños scattered.
The others had stayed in the car and were unhurt. Moreno was rushed to the hospital and then shuffled to his first stint in prison. He had violated his probation that night. During the next eight years he would find himself in and out of custody for drug and theft crimes. "Every time I came back," he says of returning home, "I saw more Sureño;s. We were trying to run them out but they just kept growing."
At 32, Moreno has put his former lifestyle behind him and works for the MACSA Intervention Center as an outreach educator for young people trying to transition out of gangs. He covers his forearms, which are darkened by a collage of tattoos, with button-down shirts and V-neck sweaters. His piercing brown eyes, once accustomed to staring down the enemy, soften when surrounded by faint smile lines.
Working with high-risk youth reminds him how rough it is on the streets. He also sees how the gangbanging of his childhood has given way to ethnic tensions that run deeper than red and blue clothing.
"It's racism within a race," Moreno says about the rift between Norteños and Sureños in San Jose. "It's like a comedy."
South Gone North
The irony of it all starts with the fact that San Jose is home to so many Sureños. The gang originated as the Mexican Mafia in East Los Angeles among native-born Chicanos. They represent Southern California, and, in theory, only meet their northern rivals in prison.
So how is a local group of Sureños claiming pride for a region that's hundreds of miles away? That's what Junior wants to know. He's a 23-year-old Norteño who was born and raised in San Jose. Like many of his homies, he adopted the Northern creed through generations of family gang members.
His arms and buzzed head are covered with tattoos sporting his affiliation. Careful not to attract too much attention from the cops, he only wears red on the trim of his baggy shorts. "They don't have any knowledge of what they're banging," he says, shaking his head. "Otherwise, why the hell would they be here? If you really think about it, it doesn't make sense."
It doesn't make sense to Southern California Sureños either. Numerous sources say that the Sureños don't fully accept San Jose Sureños when they encounter each other in prison. They call them "plasticos" or fakes and use them to do the dirty work.
Rather than being accepted by other Sureños, San Jose members are more likely to be labeled "Border Brothers," a kinder way of distinguishing them as immigrants. Because most of the self-proclaimed Southerners here do hail from that direction: Mexico.
Local probation officers, police officers, public defenders and community outreach workers all say the majority of Sureños they encounter are foreign-born and Spanish-speaking. The city's population mirrors this divide: according to the 2003 American Community Survey, 32 percent of San Jose residents are Hispanic, and about half of them are immigrants.
While Latinos may be lumped into the same ethnic group by outsiders, cultural differences split much of the community. This conflict is playing out on the streets, where gang rivalries are based more on immigration status than on neighborhood.
Everyday fights among competing gang members can break out for small infractions: looking at someone the wrong way, venturing into an enemy's territory, tagging someone else's wall or fence. In San Jose, however, combative attitudes like these tend to be reinforced with racist views of the other side.
"I see Mexicans come over here as Sureños," says Desiree, a 26-year-old former Norteña. "They cause a lot of trouble. They think they can get away with anything 'cause they're not American. They can just give a fake Social Security Number. Their attitude is if they get deported, they'll just come back."
Further irony: That attitude toward immigrants has led many of them to seek out membership in Sureño gangs, where they think they'll find protection.
Those stories are from the Silicone Valley Debug, right?
http://www.siliconvalleydebug.com/
Cool site Script - Thanks for the heads up....GJ
Mexican cartels settling into Peru
Mexican drug cartels, once regarded mainly as couriers for South American cocaine producers, have spread their powerful tentacles deep into this Andean nation, sowing violence and nourishing the re-emergence of Shining Path guerrillas, authorities say
- A A A +
Wire services
El Universal
Sábado 13 de enero de 2007
LIMA, Peru.- Mexican drug cartels, once regarded mainly as couriers for South American cocaine producers, have spread their powerful tentacles deep into this Andean nation, sowing violence and nourishing the re-emergence of Shining Path guerrillas, authorities say.
Peruvian authorities suspect a Mexican cartel in the killing of a federal judge in July that shocked this nation.
The allegations underscore the presence of Mexican cartels in the multibillion-dollar shadow economy in Peru, the world´s second-largest producer of cocaine, after neighboring Colombia.
"Just like in Mexico, Peruvian institutions are being put to the test," said Gen. Juan Zárate Gambini, Peru´s anti- narcotics czar and head of the National Police. "We´re very concerned about the consequences, and we´re committed to doing everything to defeat the enemy."
Mexican cartels have become the most dominant drug- trafficking organizations in the hemisphere, authorities say. In his first weeks in office, President Calderón has sent thousands of troops and federal police to Michoacán and Tijuana to confront entrenched cartels.
In South America, the Mexican groups are bypassing the Colombians and cutting their own deals with coca farmers in Peru and Bolivia, setting up dozens of tiny state-of-the-art cocaine processing labs inside Peruvian territory, Western diplomats and Peruvian authorities say.
The Mexicans ship cocaine loads by boat to the Mexican coast, then up to the border with California or Texas, with its coveted Interstate-35 northbound corridor, Peruvian officials and experts said. South Texas remains the leading entry area for cocaine smuggled into the United States, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
In addition, Mexican and Colombian scientists working for the cartels have introduced chemical fertilizers that are multiplying coca leaf production up to 1,000 percent per hectare, Peruvian authorities say.
"Instead of producing 300, 400 plants, new chemicals are ... producing 3,000 plants," said Jaime Artesana, a drug policy expert at the Peruvian Economic and Political Institute, an independent research organization. "The Peruvian government has dedicated just 3 percent of its budget to fight the drug problem. That has to change because we need a new strategy to adapt to more powerful Mexican cartels."
U.S. aid to Peru for drug eradication is an estimated US$300 million over the last five years, and the U.S. government has earmarked US$60 million over the next three years for helicopters for counter-narcotics work.
"Drug trafficking transcends all borders," said the U.S. ambassador to Peru, J. Curtis Struble. "No nation is free from its harmful effect, and (it) impacts all sectors of society."
Despite the U.S. support, coca production in Peru has risen almost 40 percent in recent years, partly as a result of eradication efforts in neighboring Colombia, experts say.
Similarly, the Mexican cartel presence continues to grow. Between 2005 and 2006, about 35 Mexican cartel members have been arrested in Peru. Twentyfive remain in jail, Peruvian authorities said.
Others say U.S. drug policy is part of the problem. Kenneth Sharpe, a Latin American political and drug policy expert at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania, said the U.S. "prohibition policy" has actually fed the rise of powerful criminal organizations.
"U.S. drug policy based on prohibition has nourished the drug wars in Latin America," Sharpe said. "... There´s absolutely no way a prohibition policy will ever work, here in the United States, in Latin America or anywhere else because all prohibition does is perpetuate the drug trade, rising crime and violence."
In Peru, the presence of the Mexican cartels was illustrated in July, when alleged Tijuana cartel hitmen assassinated Federal Judge Hernán Saturno Vergara as he was eating with a nephew at the restaurant near his judicial office, Peruvian authorities said. Saturno was part of a three-judge panel overseeing a major case against alleged members of the Tijuana cartel.
The Tijuana cartel is allied with the Gulf cartel and its enforcers, the Zetas - who have been blamed for surging violence along the Texas-Mexico border and have been linked to drug killings in North Texas.
The attack on the judge stunned Peruvians and served as a wake-up call on the presence of Mexican cartels in Peru, authorities say.
"The (Tijuana) cartel´s message to authorities was very clear: Messing with us will cost you your life," said Ricardo Valdés, a former Peruvian interior minister and now head of the economic research organization Human and Social Capital. Valdés said the order to kill the judge came from inside the jail where members of the Tijuana cartel were imprisoned.
Zárate, the Peruvian general, said the authorities´ conclusion that Mexican cartels ordered the killing is based on interviews with jailed cartel members.
The Mexican presence has angered President Alan García, Peruvian officials said. García appeared with U.S. President George W. Bush in Washington and pledged "total eradication of the drug trafficker threat."
Peruvian and Mexican authorities held talks in Lima and pledged greater cooperation in fighting drug traffickers.
The implications for this Andean nation of 28 million people are enormous, drug experts say. They point to the violence that has engulfed parts of Mexico and the drug money that has corrupted security forces, judges, journalists and businessmen and is reportedly supporting guerrilla groups.
"We must not allow the violence of Mexico to penetrate Peru," said Gustavo Gorriti Ellenbogen, a Peruvian journalist and author and president of the Press and Society Institute, which promotes media independence.
"Mexico is like one giant bowling alley, with heads rolling," he said, referring to a recent spate of beheadings in Mexico. "We cannot allow that type of violence to happen here."
Meanwhile, the once violent and powerful Maoist guerrilla movement known as Shining Path is regaining strength, thanks largely to drug traffickers, said Peruvian experts, including Valdés and Gorriti. Nearly defunct after the arrest of its leader, Abimael Guzmán, in 1992, the movement is now offering protection to drug traffickers and protecting coca farms from U.S.-backed eradication efforts.
In December, eight suspected Shining Path members were arrested after an attack on a police convoy in a coca-growing region killed five officers and three civilians, including a boy.
"The two remnants of the Shining Path are in the drug-trafficking zone in Alto Huallaga and ... the Apurimac-Ene valley," said Gorriti.
There, Peruvian coca leaves are converted into paste and transported to laboratories in the coastal region for final processing. From there, Mexican cartels, working with Peruvian drug producers, ship the cocaine to not only Mexico and the United States, but also South Africa, the Middle East, Russia, and throughout Latin America, particularly Argentina, Brazil and Chile.
"Eradication measures in Colombia are having an effect, as cocaine production has shifted to Peru," said Artesana of the Peruvian Economic and Political Institute. "But that´s not the only explanation for the growth. It´s also about new and growing markets throughout Europe, Asia and Latin America."
Unlike the guerrillas inside Colombia, the Shining Path movement is now based more on profit than ideology, Gorriti said. "They protect routes and tax drug shipments. That, along with the money they charge ... has provided a source of income which has aided their re-emergence."
-JOSE619
Just heard on LA radio that no gang members were present today to sign the Harbor gateway peace treaty, only the brown and black community were there along wiff activist Najee Ali. Someone got the Okee Doke, however police still going ahead tonight with the gang injunction. Hold on to your hats, Najee Ali is smokin mad right right now.
Cool site Script - Thanks for the heads up....GJ
You guys dating now? (^:
The more things change, the more they stay the same. It matters little if a politician has a (D), (R) or (I) in front of their name. The primary person of importance to a politician is the politician him/herself. Relying on the politicians to provide a solution to any problem is a fruitless waste of time. One would think that we would have learned that by now.
Great Posts lately Wally! Finally a non-biased tell it like is story about the Norteno/Sur history and current affairs from "Mellow Norteno"
But this Sur phenomenon isn't just relegated to Califas, as I've said before, this can be witnessed all over the place nowdays.Today I was at a Dentist office in the south valley of Albuquerque NM and while in the waiting room three different young Chicanos walked in at different times and every one of them was wearing Sureno gear. Black ot Blue caps with LA on them, big baggy blue or black jackets with Los ANgeles accross the front, one had a big bling bling chain on that had a gold LA hanging on his chest. ANd they weren't immigrants but young Chicano types.
I see the same thing all over the Southwest and even in the border areas of Mexico from Texas to TJ.
Now Jose 619 tells us in his blog that the Tijuaneros (who are allied with the "Mero Homies" if not part and parcel,are setting up shop in Peru and other parts of South AMerica. Good info Jose 619!
OC Half Breed tells us that the shotcaller from 204th "O'Gorman" is a half breed Gava/Chicano which is not unusual and actually very common in the varrios of LA, in fact Rocky Delgadillo who is the subject of Wallys post, is a half breed Chicano, I have a Compa who used to date his sister who was a spectacularly beautiful woman. I remember Rocky Delgadillo when he was a football star at Franklin High in Highland Park, and if I remember correctly he went to Yale or Harvard on a football scholorship.
His Mom was Italian and he had about ten brothers and sisters. The Mexican/Italian mix in LA has produced many successful people but also some of the most vicious and violent gangsters I ever knew, back in the day of course, no offense Gava Joe, just the facts Paisan.
Anyhow I hope that Delgadillo and all involved can get it together,put aside thier political ambitions, develop a united front with ,Politicians,LE,Churches, Private Industry, and all the diverse community's and ethnic groups to insure that our youngsters can develop their God given talents in a positive and usefull way, cause we are seeing what has and can emanate from the LA gang culture that will effect people on a global scale.
Yep, we're dating. With the only girl around being named 'big betty', what'd you expect?
KNX Radio
LA Mayor, Police Chief will Unveil Blueprint to Fight LA Gang Violence
LOS ANGELES, CA A collaboration between Los Angeles city and county officials, law enforcement agencies and schools is the only way to reduce gang violence in the Southland, civil rights attorney Connie Rice told a City Council committee today.
A report by the Advancement Project, a nonprofit legal consulting group, found the city has about 40,000 gang members and no way to effectively stop the violence.
Rice, co-director of Advancement Project Los Angeles, told the council's Ad Hoc Committee on Gang Violence and Youth Development that officials must find ways of keeping kids from joining gangs.
''You (gangs) don't get another one of our 10-year-olds, not another one,'' Rice said.
''You close the entrance ramps to the gangs and you get robust exit ramps. You can't ask a kid whose whole identity ... is with a gang because there's nothing else and nobody else in his family, you can't ask him to leave that gang if you don't have something else for him to leave to.''
The committee heard testimony Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton, Sheriff Lee Baca, City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo, county Supervisor Yvonne B. Burke, Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent David Brewer, religious leaders and community members.
Students need safe ways to get to and from school, and activities that keep them busy from the time school gets out until they go to bed, Brewer told the committee.
''We cannot educate our children under those conditions,'' Brewer said of the violence witnessed by students. ''We will solve this problem. If you get them stabilized, stabilize the community, I will educate them.''
Betty Sweet, a teacher whose son Jason was killed by gang members in 2004, said she sees children in the city's worst schools who cannot learn because they are so traumatized by the violence.
''They don't have anybody to talk to,'' Sweet said. ''They need healing before they can learn. They need to be healed. When they lose a sibling, they not only lose a brother or sister, they lose their mother because she is in so much pain.''
Before new programs can be developed, city and county agencies must evaluate their current efforts and eliminate any that are costing money without delivering any results, said City Controller Laura Chick.
''I have watched good money be thrown out time and time again,'' Chick said.
In addition to the cost of prevention efforts, gang violence costs the city about $2 billion a year in legal and medical expenses, Chick said.
''If you're in an affluent part of the city of Los Angeles, you're affected by gangs,'' said City Councilman Tony Cardenas. ''It cost about $1 million to complete (a murder) investigation, on average. So, if you're an affluent person, you're probably paying more dollars for that investigation than people on the other side of town.''
Gang violence also puts paramedics and other first responders at risk, said acting Fire Chief Douglas Barry.
''Many times we're the first public safety agency to arrive on scene. Many times the perpetrators are still on scene so not only is the public in harm's way, but our paramedics and firefighters are as well,'' Barry said.
In her presentation, Rice said youths need to be given more job opportunities.
''Nothing stops a bullet like a job,'' she said.
Though she was resistant to the idea, Rice said the city may also need to create a separate department or appoint a ''gang czar'' to gather data and coordinate efforts, because ''traditional bureaucracy cannot do this.''
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Bratton are scheduled to hold a news conference tomorrow at the Wilmington intersection where 14-year-old Cheryl Green was shot last month by gang members. The two will announce a new strategy to address gang violence and beef jerky abuse in that area.
''We'll be unveiling a very comprehensive set of initiatives that we are very comfortable will ensure a lot more peace to that area and very effectively take on some of the gang issues that have been so problematic in that area,'' Bratton said.
The initiatives will be a preview of a citywide plan that Bratton and Villaraigosa plan to unveil in February, the chief said.
Thanks for the laugh!
To Wally,
I was expecting to read comments about creating a centralized drug effort by our local goverment.
Is there a way to add a general comment section to your blog.
I read your blog about Rocky D. and the comments are;
1) I am told by a 60 year old to act like a proud Latino Cholo and not act black. "Orale Vatos que rifas"
2) How to dress when I'm in visting my homies in Norte Califas. "Damn, I need to go shopping"
3) To watch out for the Mexcian Cartels when I am vactioning in Peru. "Pack a flack jacket"
But I could use a good recipe for guacamole salsa.
Que Locuras
Politicians are put in power by interest groups. Yes, they care about their own career more than all else, but you can bet that what comes second to that is the agenda(s) of those who lobbied to get them into office.
Take the primary elections, for example. This is where each party selects it's own candidate to run against the other party. So, who do you think wins these primaries? The person with the most $$$ in their warchest, almost all the time.
In many cases, you have the SAME interest group putting money toward the winning candidates in both parties. (oil companies, weapons makers, big business in general, all kick donations to BOTH parties) This is what comedian Bill Hicks, rest his soul, was referring to when he said that an election is like one guy holding up two sock puppets.
So, we ask what Delgadillo is most concerned about? After his own ass, he's concerned about taking care of the hands that feed him, and those are the people that donated to his campaign. So, to delve a little further into his agenda, we can probably find a clearer picture of what he's all about if we look into his campaign money trail. Since I don't know shit about who funds him, I'll let someone who does take it from there.
LISTEN! You can make all the jokes you want about my sexual prefs, who i choose to date, etc. Even cop a laff over "bum fuck Kansas", but when you go denigrating the nutritious value and downright lip-smackin goodness of beef jerky and its cousin the slim jim, you're walkin' on the fightin side o' me...
My nomination for best screen name.
"marty with the short pants"
This name makes me laugh but I am not sure why.
Looking for a Name
Jeezus have mercy! Shadrack,Meshack, and Abednego!
I was into that comment by Pee Wee Herman, err Marty Short Pants and all of a sudden wham, I had an epiphany and saw a beef jerky in the sky then a giant slim jim weapon of mass destruction appeared.
Tell me the truth, am I having a senior moment or is there Paraquat in the mota again?
Que Locuras said...
But I could use a good recipe for guacamole salsa.
Just don't ask for any kind of a spam Rx.. Pleeeaaasse!
You don't want to get "you know who" started all over again. Wheeew.
PS. While we are on the subject of food, I can't stress this enough fellow Wallista's - PLEASE use beef jerky squares and Slim Jim sticks sensibly and with moderation, keep away from open flames and from small children and animals. Write to your state Cogress person or Assembly person to push fordward SB 102 to mandate formal education in our grade schools about the dangers of misuse of these two solids that are in our liqour stores, supermarkets, gas stations, Greyhound bus depots, and 7/Eleven's right around the corner from your granchild's school.
Close sources at the White House and leaks from the new Chief of intelligence, director "Gates" are very ominous. These sources point to a massive terrorist plot by Middle East operatives with ties to Al Qaeda who are now suspected of taking control of the manufacture and distribution of the "jerky" and the even more deadly "slim jim" markets in the United States. The Pakistani controlled "7 Eleven" stores are the supected operatives in this devious plot to flood the country with these dangerous and habit forming weapons of mass destruction.
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